The recent announcement of the 50th ratification of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons will enter into legal force in January 2021 and will become United Nations International Law.
Although it is good news thanks to the hard work of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) and their advocates, the Coalition Government refuses to sign the Treaty which places Australia in a situation where we will be breaching International Law.
ICAN states that the Treaty prohibits states parties from developing, testing, producing, manufacturing, possessing, stockpiling using or threatening to use nuclear weapons to be stationed on their territory.
ICAN Director Gem Remould says it is a positive move forward in the prohibition of Nuclear Weapons but the beautiful thing about this Treaty is that it reveals the hypocrisy of the Australian Government not signing it.
Gem explains the background to the signing of the Treaty and how the UN International law on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons will come into effect.
Gem also speaks about the support for the Treaty by the Opposition party and the current nuclear and uranium industry here in Australia.
Senator Penny Wong -Leader of the Australian Labor Party in the Senate and Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs issued a press release welcoming the ratification of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons stating the Australian Labor Party will continue their commitment to signing the Treaty and she says that the ambition of a world free of Nuclear Weapons is one that Labor shares.
3KND contacted the Federal Department of Defence to talk to the Minister of Defence Linda Reynolds CSC and she was unable to facilitate the request.
To really understand the impacts of uranium mining and the Nuclear Industry Kirstyn Lindsay spoke with Yankunytjatjara Anti Nuclear Campaigner Karina Lester about the announcement of the 50th Ratification of the UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.
Karina is a cultural and language educator for her Anangu Tjuta and follows in her Father’s and Grandmothers footsteps to advocate for the prohibition of nuclear testing and the use of weapons and the uranium industry.
Karina’s father is the late Yami Lester who was personally impacted by the British Nuclear Testing throughout South Australia, Central and Western Desert region.
The testing started in the 1950’s and Karina brings his legacy forward as an advocate and ICAN Ambassador to protect her people and country and raise global awareness.
Karina says she was quite emotional when she heard the news about the Treaty but she says there is a lot of work to be done because the Australian government hasn't signed it.
Speaking on a local level Karina also shares her thoughts and vision on State based Treaties for her people in the Anangu Pitjantjara Yankunytjatjara Lands.
She says she would really have to think about how it could benefit her people and there would have to be a broader discussion with all of her people across the APY tri state region.
For all of the information on the United Nations Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons go to icanw.org.au/learn/the-treaty/